FLEX Online - The Ultimate Bodybuilding Information Resourcehttp://www.flexonline.com/rss.xmlFlex OnlineenSat, 01 Aug 2015 17:31:22 GMTSat, 01 Aug 2015 17:31:22 GMT2The PUSH Challengehttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae63/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Cpush0Echallenge/story01.htm<p style="text-align: justify;">BSN goes where no supplement company has gone before, to bring to you an exciting, emotional and inspiring reality video series. Three contestants from across the globe will embark on a once in a lifetime opportunity - to train with 3x 212 Olympia Winner, Flex Lewis and his world famous trainer, Neil Hill.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Training with Flex and Neil is no ordinary experience. Do you think the guys will have what it takes to endure hardcore workouts at the Mecca of Bodybuilding, Gold's Gym Venice Beach? And what about when things get tough, both physically and emotionally? Who will dig deep and PUSH beyond their limits? Only one contestant will be chosen as the ultimate winner by Flex and Neil.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">THE TRAILER</span></strong></span></span></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/push-challenge-series-trailer"><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" style="width: 400px; height: 225px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/the-trailer-play-button.jpg?itok=0RrkR31R" /></a></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">THE EPISODES</span></span></strong></span></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" class="media-image" height="308" style="width: 400px; height: 201px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/Red_Coming_Soon_Stamp1_8.png?itok=xq_2S4g9" /></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae63/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Sat, 01 Aug 2015 17:30:51 GMT66976 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffAna Delia: On the Bright Sidehttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489de109/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgeneral0Enews0Cana0Edelia0Ebright0Eside/story01.htm<p>Throughout her 20s, Ana Delia was forced to deal with a string of devastating losses— none of which involved coming up short on a judge’s scorecard. She lost her father to cancer, a cousin to murder, a brother-in-law to a drunk-driving collision, and a younger brother to complications from a motorcycle accident. The emotional roller coaster was a bumpy ride that led her into a debilitating depression.</p> <p>"There were times I felt like giving up," Delia reveals. “Slowly I’d start to recover, and then something else would happen. I’d think, ‘How much more can I take?’ But I’d make myself get up, brush myself off, and keep going.” One particularly heart-wrenching episode took place shortly before her brother’s passing. “I was traveling to Miami, and he came to visit me the day I was leaving. The last thing he said to me was, ‘Take me with you.’ I wish I could have.” Delia, now in her mid-30s, can’t forget the heartache and bouts of depression that plagued her a decade earlier. But her dedication to fitness and a mindset to seek the bright side in even the most demanding circumstances helped her prevail. “Everything that happens—every little step that’s put in front of us—can teach us something,” she says. “Challenges will never stop coming, and life will never stop hitting, so it’s up to us to turn the other cheek and say, ‘Bring it!’ ”</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>DADDY’S GIRL</strong></span></span></p> <p>“My father’s love for me knew no bounds, but his bipolar disorder would often cause erratic behavior,” she says. “Sometimes I would sleep with a knife under my pillow because I wasn’t sure if or when his anger would get the best of him.” The two grew closer once he found inner peace through religion. “I never stopped loving him, and a lot of who I am today I owe to his example,” Delia says. “He turned his life around, and that taught me that I could do it, too.”</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>MOVING ON</strong></span></span></p> <p>Delia competed in her first NPC show in 2011, earned top honors at the 2012 FLEX Bikini Model Search, and scored her pro card at the 2013 NPC Team Universe. “Competing helped get me out of my depression,” she says. “I started to make friends and have a sense of accomplishment. I was happy. The gym became my church. Even now, when I feel troubled, I say my prayers while I train.”</p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" style="width: 612px; height: 508px; margin: 4px;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/ana-delia-1.jpg?itok=9GgstGC7" width="612" height="508" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>THE NEXT STEP</strong></span></span></p> <p>Delia took a break from the IFBB stage in 2014 and might continue the hiatus to focus on building her business and brand. That said, there has been no letup in her training regimen. “I hustle when I’m in the gym in order to get my heart rate up and to burn more calories,” she says. “I’m training to build strength in all areas, but I think sometimes it’s harder to bring down a big Latina booty than to build a small booty up. Some women are just naturally gifted with great symmetry and tighter physiques. But just because Latina women like me tend to be bottom heavy doesn’t mean we can’t make it work for us.”</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>END GAME</strong></span></span></p> <p>Delia’s goals as a bikini pro and fitness model aren’t simply to rack up awards or accumulate hordes of adoring fans. The bigger picture, she hopes, involves inspiring others to strive to succeed. “When you are good on the inside, people will want to be around you,” she says. “No matter how bad things are, it’s up to you to keep going. I’d like to use that line of thinking to benefit others.” - <strong>FLEX</strong></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489de109/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Sat, 01 Aug 2015 07:11:31 GMT66981 at http://www.flexonline.comMichael IronsOfficial Scorecards from the 2015 IFBB Vancouver Prohttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48738f70/sc/15/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cifbb0Cofficial0Escorecards0E20A150Eifbb0Evancouver0Epro/story01.htm<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">OPEN BODYBUILDING</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_mbb-1.jpg?itok=Z9rvfpvh" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">212 BODYBUILDING</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_212_1.jpg?itok=nKXX4e4p" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">MEN'S PHYSIQUE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_mp_0.jpg?itok=DHk_c9kL" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WOMEN'S PHYSIQUE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_wp-1.jpg?itok=fa9lHSdO" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">FIGURE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_fig_1.jpg?itok=gGTGG4_y" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">FITNESS</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_fit-1.jpg?itok=-nZy1ywD" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">BIKINI</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="765" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/scorecard_bik_0.jpg?itok=Re4i9lRY" /></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48738f70/sc/15/mf.gif' border='0'/>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:31:26 GMT66916 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffElite Lifestyle Cuisine Signs Olympia 212 Bodybuilding Championhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae5c/sc/35/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgeneral0Enews0Celite0Elifestyle0Ecuisine0Esigns0Eolympia0E2120Ebodybuilding0Echampion/story01.htm<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:24px;"><strong>ELITE LIFESTYLE CUISINE SIGNS </strong></span><strong style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.6;">OLYMPIA 212 BODYBUILDING CHAMPION</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>Three Time Champion, James ‘Flex’ Lewis </strong></span><strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); line-height: 1.6;">Will Rely On <span style="line-height: 1.6;">Elite Lifestyle Cuisine’s Chefs For His Dietary Needs</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">CLIFTON, NJ; July 31, 2015 -- The reigning IFBB Olympia 212 Champion and one of the most recognized and talented bodybuilders in the world, <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/ifbb/james-flex-lewis" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;">James ‘Flex’ Lewis</a> has joined <a href="http://www.elitelifestylecuisine.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" rel="nofollow">Elite Lifestyle Cuisine</a>. The partnership is the first of its kind for the New Jersey based company as it broadens its horizons from mainstream to bodybuilding. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">“It gives me great pleasure to be a part of the Elite Lifestyle Cuisine Team. My longtime friend and company President, Carlo Filippone and I have been talking plans for some time. I expressed my concerns with some of the other meal preparation companies I’ve used in the past, Carlo’s words were, ‘I’m going to send you some food, just try it.’ He did and for the last two months I’ve been using his meals. Needless to say, I’m very, very happy. My sport revolves around the dinner table. I have high confidence that teaming up with Elite will help bring a package to the <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/ifbb/ifbb-olympia-weekend-2015" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;">Olympia</a> that will secure that fourth win.”</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">James ‘Flex’ Lewis’ career is highlighted with 13 professional victories, making him the winningest 212 pound professional bodybuilder in the IFBB. His work ethic, attention to detail and desire to continuously improve; has made him one of the most respected bodybuilders of all time. On Saturday, September 19, 2015, Lewis will make his bid to become a four time Olympia champion. The title is the most prestigious in the world.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Company President and former IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Carlo Filippone states, “One of the greatest compliments Elite Lifestyle Cuisine has ever received is an endorsement from Flex Lewis. Not strictly because he is Mr. Olympia, but because he is a champion with great integrity and an unwillingness to compromise. I have placed the same emphasis on my company. We are as proud to be a part of his team, as we are excited to have him represent our brand.” </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>About Elite Lifestyle Cuisine:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Elite Lifestyle Cuisine, a prepared gourmet healthy meal company, opened its doors in May, 2013 and featured a direct to consumer home delivery service exclusive to the New York Metropolitan area. In June 2015 it expanded its delivery zones nationwide. Its product line is comprised of many recognizable and low fat menu items as well as a ‘Staples’ menu featuring, high-quality protein sources including wild-caught salmon and cod, all natural chicken breasts, and the newly introduced ‘Flex Burger’, a hand-rolled eight ounce turkey breast burger created specifically for the company’s new star. Orders can be placed through the company website <a href="http://www.elitelifestylecuisine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.elitelifestylecuisine.com</a>. </p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae5c/sc/35/mf.gif' border='0'/>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:31:25 GMT66979 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffGold&#039;s Gym Turns 50http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae50/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgeneral0Enews0Cgolds0Egym0Eturns0E50A/story01.htm<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>IN 1965, GOLD’S GYM OPENED ITS DOORS AND LAUNCHED THE MODERN FITNESS MOVEMENT THAT BROUGHT EXERCISE AND HEALTHY LIVING INTO THE GLOBAL CONSCIENCE</strong></span></p> <p>Fifty years ago, in a single concrete room, 30 feet by 100 feet just of the Venice Beach shoreline, modern fitness was born. It was an unassuming spot, but packed inside were massive men pumping iron and curling, benching, and deadlifting thousands of pounds. This was the frst Gold’s Gym, and it would create a revolution that continues today.</p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>THE DARK AGES</strong></span></span></p> <p>Prior to 1965, American health was in decline. Less than a decade prior, President John F. Kennedy published an article titled “The Soft American” in Sports Illustrated, in which he argued that “such softness on the part of individual citizens can help to strip and destroy the vitality of a nation...the stamina and strength which the defense of liberty requires are not the product of a few weeks’ basic training or a month’s conditioning.” More than one-third of children in the U.S. had failed one of five strength tests administered in school, compared with a 1% failure rate for European students. The government was so concerned that it encouraged comic strips to address fitness. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz produced Snoopy’s Daily Dozen, a booklet featuring Snoopy, Charlie, Linus, and the gang going through a series of exercises. The small percentage of American adults who did exercise favored quick and easy workouts like 5BX, which stood for Five Basic Exercises and didn’t require additional equipment or do much to build strength. Real strength training was all but unknown.</p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>A GYM IS BORN</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="725" style="width: 300px; height: 355px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/golds-gym6_0.jpg?itok=ryY-uygW" />Enter Joe Gold. The merchant marine with an impressive physique who scored roles as an extra in films including The Ten Commandments and Around the World in 80 Days had an idea. He worked out at Muscle Beach just south of the Santa Monica Pier—where young men like the original “fitness superhero” Jack LaLanne and Steve Reeves, who played Hercules, lifted crude weights, performed feats of strength like handstands and other gymnastic moves, and showed off their hulking physiques to tourists moseying down the boardwalk. But Gold knew they needed an indoor spot so they could work out at all hours and train with better equipment. He purchased an abandoned lot on Pacific Avenue and erected a simple building out of cinder blocks, and thus Gold’s Gym was born.</p> <p>“Joe was a hardcore trainer, a competitive bodybuilder back in the day,” FLEX Chief Content Director Shawn Perine says. “He was about building hardcore muscle, about giving guys the chance to create the ultimate physique.”</p> <p>Gold saw an opportunity—at the time there were just three gyms for the 7 million people in the Los Angeles area—but he also understood how much he could improve the bodybuilding community. The weights and benches of the day were poorly made, uneven with faulty cables and uncomfortable grips. Gold knew what the lifters liked because, after all, he was one of them, and so he set about creating equipment to suit their needs. He turned his two-car garage into a machine shop of sorts, developing benches, pulley systems, unique handles, and other homemade </p> <p>devices that were superior to anything on the market. “When you felt his dumbbells, there was a magic there,” remembers Eddie Giuliani, a bodybuilder from New York who moved to California to train at Gold’s Gym and would win his height class in Mr. America and Mr. World.</p> <p><em><strong>Click "Next Page" to continue &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p>[pagebreak]</p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>THE GOLDEN ERA</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="463" style="width: 612px; height: 463px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/golds-gym-c_0.jpg?itok=eEEubx1h" /></p> <p>Bodybuilders flocked to Gold’s Gym. While other gyms tried to mimic the cutting-edge technology, none had the brilliance of Joe Gold. Dave Draper, who was known as the Blond Bomber, and who was literally and figuratively the biggest muscle star of the early 1960s, joined Gold’s along with the other top stars of the day. Tourists stood outside the gym, peering in with hopes of catching a glimpse of the men inside. People who couldn’t get to the beachside spot could still see Draper and others on the cover of bodybuilding magazines that were slowly taking off. “That was the ‘me’ generation, and all of a sudden people were discovering themselves, <span style="line-height: 1.6;">and what better way to discover yourself than to see how ripped you can make your muscles?” Perine says. Magazines like Muscle Builder featured interviews and tips from the big names at Gold’s, turning them into household names. </span></p> <p><span style="line-height: 1.6;">The rapid explosion of fitness and bodybuilding spurred the growth of scientific breakthroughs and interest from the medical field. The fledgling International Society of Sport Psychology held its first World Congress in 1965, and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity came into being in 1967. In 1971, State University of New York at Stony Brook chemistry professor Paul C. Lauterbur developed the concept that he would use to create the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine and the first issue of the Journal of Sports Medicine came off the presses a year later. </span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="921" style="width: 300px; height: 451px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/arnold-posing1.jpg?itok=b7or5YNl" /><span style="line-height: 1.6;">Then, of course, came Arnold. Joe Weider, creator of the Mr. Olympia competition and publisher of magazines like Muscle &amp; Fitness and FLEX, </span><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to train at Gold’s Gym in 1968, and the Austrian almost immediately became an icon. He would work out with Draper, Giuliani, and his good friend and roommate, Franco Columbu, harder, faster, and longer than anyone else, smiling throughout the effort, impressing the young men who wanted to be him. “Arnold was everywhere,” his frequent training partner Ric Drasin says. “He made it the Mecca.” </span></p> <p><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Throughout the 1970s, the bodybuilding movement continued to gain traction, and Arnold’s gang led the way. Yellow Gold’s Gym T-shirts featuring the ubiquitous Gold’s Gym logo—designed by Drasin spontaneously on a cocktail napkin—were everywhere on the boardwalk, the beach, the bars around town, and beyond. To wear one was to signal that you were a part of something larger. Gold’s Gym hosted the 1977 Mr. America contest. That same year the movie Pumping Iron, featuring Schwarzenegger competing in the 1975 Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions, vaulted the bodybuilders to another level of celebrity. Soon Hollywood stars like Clint Eastwood were dropping in for sessions as well as sports stars like Muhammad Ali. Bodybuilding had solidified itself in mainstream culture. “I remember watching TV in the ’80s, and every other commercial had a bodybuilder,” Perine says. “More likely than not, that bodybuilder was recruited by somebody calling the front desk of Gold’s Gym Venice.”</span></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" to continue &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">[pagebreak]</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">A LEGACY BEGINS</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="409" style="width: 612px; height: 409px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/golds-gym-b.jpg?itok=_ctSE_RA" /></p> <p><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">By 1980, Gold’s Gym had been sold off by Gold and passed through a few owners, landing in the hands of Pete Grymkowski, Tim Kimber, and Ed Connors. The trio, nicknamed the Three Horseman, set about spreading the core message of the brand to the nation. They saw that bodybuilding and physical fitness had staying power, less of a trend and more of a basic fact of the aging baby boomer lifestyle. Consider that in 1982 movie star Jane Fonda would take a break from her busy schedule to shoot Jane Fonda’s Workout, launching her successful second career. Soon after in 1985 the American Council on Exercise was formed to create a standard national certification process for aerobic instructors. Fitness was no longer a tourist attraction on Venice Beach, it was a part of everyday American life. And Gold’s Gym became a cornerstone of pop culture. Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in Rocky, wore a Gold’s Gym T-shirt on a Saturday Night Live promo spot; Wesley Snipes donned a Gold’s Gym tank top in White Men Can’t Jump; and Will Smith flashed a Gold’s Gym VIP pass in Men in Black. All types of celebrities from rock stars like Janet Jackson to Olympic gold medalists like Greg Louganis and—the most famous of all— basketball legend Michael Jordan were showing up at Gold’s Gym. </span></p> <p><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Connors opened the first licensed Gold’s Gym in San Francisco in 1980 and dedicated himself to launching new outposts. Jerry McCall, a nationally competitive bodybuilder who bought into the San Jose franchise in 1982, remembers the old days. “Ed really spawned the licensing program,” the former president of the Gold’s Gym Franchisee Association says. “He had a knack for meeting people, like somebody in Rochester or Madison, a hardcore kind of guy who had a small club and wanted to expand.” By 1981, there were 5,000 singular health clubs nationwide, and many entrepreneurs saw the great value in aligning their little gyms with Gold’s Gym, which was rapidly becoming the dominant force in American fitness. </span></p> <p><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">The number of Gold’s Gyms across the country skyrocketed. The group took the brand international in 1985 when a branch opened in Canada. The iconic T-shirts started selling in retail outlets worldwide in 1987, the perfect complement to an increasing global focus on fitness, born at that unassuming gym in Venice. By 1993, Gold’s Gym had 1 million members, and that’s when it became clear that it wasn’t just bringing a fitness revolution, it was creating a legacy by helping hundreds of thousands of people realize their potential through fitness. In 1996 it expanded to Europe and Asia, changing perceptions across the globe. “When we first opened, the word fitness didn’t exist in the Russian language,” says Paul J. Kuebler, one of the three principal people to open the first Gold’s Gym in Moscow’s Leningrad Prospekt in 1996. “We had to explain to Russians what fitness was for. In the past, they only worked out to improve at the sports they played.”</span></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" to continue &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">[pagebreak]</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>A GYM GROWS UP</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="411" style="width: 612px; height: 411px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://editorial.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/golds-gym-a.jpg?itok=zwz9CEao" /></p> <p>While Gold’s Gym became known as the Mecca of Bodybuilding, the brand also pioneered the latest fitness innovations, making sure their members, who came first just as they had when Joe Gold set about creating a gym for his peers, stayed at the forefront. Connors built a group exercise room in the San Jose gym in 1981, well before the trend took off nationally. The Gold’s Gym trainers got ideas from everywhere, increasing the use of kettlebells and periodization after seeing the success these exercises and philosophies had in Russia. The cardio age came into being in 1984 with the StairMaster StepMill, and Gold’s Gym locations nationwide featured the machines. Lori Lowell, the national group fitness director for Gold’s Gym International between 1999 and 2009, <span style="line-height: 1.6;">talked about how classes created the right atmosphere. “There’s a power in group fitness,” she says. “It wasn’t just about coming in and lifting weights. We were delivering a great social environment as well as a great workout.” The success is obvious, with gyms offering everything from yoga, Pilates, and core training to cardio kickboxing. Other classes like TRX and Zumba gained popularity in the coming decades and were quickly adopted by Gold’s Gym locations around the world. This past year, Gold’s Gym partnered with Microsoft to bring fitness into the next era by featuring its branded workouts on the Microsoft Band, the most cutting-edge smartband available.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>THE LEGACY CONTINUES</strong></span></span></p> <p>The Gold’s Gym legacy has left its mark on America’s attitude toward fitness, even though at the beginning, it was never a guarantee. “More than 45 years ago we all together went on a crusade to fight for health and fitness for resistance training, bodybuilding, and weightlifting,” Schwarzenegger said at a recent celebration. “At that time, everyone laughed. Now 45 years later, there isn’t one hotel in the world that doesn’t have a fitness room. Our crusade has been extremely successful.” In the next 50 years, Gold’s Gym is poised to remain a leading force in the world of fitness. Joe Gold, his group of ambitious bodybuilders, and the stewards of the Gold’s Gym legacy who came in the half century after truly did create a modern revolution. - <strong>FLEX</strong></p> <p> </p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/489bae50/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:31:21 GMT66980 at http://www.flexonline.comNoah DavisThe &#039;Beef is Bad&#039; Myth - Busted!http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48957ca0/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cnutrition0Cbeef0Ebad0Emyth0Ebusted/story01.htm<p style="text-align: justify;">Beef was one of the sacred cows of the American diet in the ’40s and ’50s. Then it became a vilified food because many beef eaters died of heart disease—never mind the cigarettes, lack of exercise, and Beefeaters gin they were guzzling. Today, though, we have a clear understanding of this quintessentially American meat’s role in a bodybuilding diet: It’s beneficial for supporting muscle gains and provides satiety, so you don’t feel the need to consume excess carbs.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Red meat is high in dietary fats and protein. For a time, science concluded (incorrectly) that heart disease was caused by consuming saturated fats. But that has been debunked. Not only are these fats not harmful, they provide the raw materials for hormones such as testosterone that support building muscle mass. In addition, a 10-ounce serving of beef contains about 60 grams of protein, depending on the cut. Of course, one of the advantages of consuming red meat is that the aminos are released for a long period, slowed by the complex proteins and, particularly, the fats contained in beef.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">That makes red meat a great food to consume later in the day when you want a sustained release of amino acids to prevent muscle breakdown while you sleep.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>BONUS: Improve endurance and athletic performance with…SALT!</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">A little salt helps the workout go down—or at least sodium helps it go on for as long as you need. A 2015 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports concluded that sports beverages alone weren’t enough to support intense endurance training. But those who consumed additional sodium (for example, table salt) as well as more electrolytes performed significantly better in a half-Ironman despite reporting the same levels of perceived exertion. That means the group consuming salt and other electrolytes outperformed the placebo group. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">The takeaway is that consuming electrolytes before training may also help extend anaerobic endurance during your longest and most challenging workouts. Keep in mind that FLEX recommends keeping your daily sodium intake at least at a moderate level (2,000 to 3,000mg per day) when you’re not in the last stages of dieting. This will help your muscles perform more effectively and allow you to drop water more dramatically when you cut sodium intake. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Experiment with bumping sodium and other electrolytes about 30 minutes before workouts. Continue to consume sports beverages that contain significant amounts of sodium, and add protein products higher in sodium and other electrolytes to boost endurance. Foods such as Campbell’s chicken with rice soup, consumed 30 to 60 minutes before workouts, are a great addition. - <strong>FLEX</strong></span></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48957ca0/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 03:19:37 GMT66978 at http://www.flexonline.comSteven StiefelPhil Heath&#039;s Olympia-Winning Chest Routinehttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b8/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Cchest0Cphil0Eheaths0Eolympia0Ewinning0Echest0Eroutine/story01.htm<p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="1316" style="width: 200px; height: 430px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/phil-heath-most-muscular.jpg?itok=Y2MfEx5w" />Whether you’re in a T-shirt by the pool or onstage in posing trunks, peoples’ eyes are going to be drawn to your chest. And when you’re onstage at the Mr. Olympia competition, owning a well-developed, perfectly proportioned set of pecs is critical to standing out among a crowded field of competitors. Just ask many past champs who’ve sported amazing chests: Sergio Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman. </p> <p>Four-time defending Mr. Olympia Phil Heath wasn’t known for his chest early on in his professional career. The knock on Heath was that his arms and delts overpowered his pecs. People forget, however, that “the Gift” turned pro a little more than a year after he began competing—and that was only three years after he began lifting for the stage. “My first few years as a pro,” he says, “I was creating more roundness, creating more of what people saw of me at the 2006 Colorado and New York Pro shows.” (He won both.) This future Mr. Olympia filled out his physique as he rose to dominance in the pro ranks. “I think [in 2006] I showed people I had a good physique, that I was more on the aesthetic side,” notes Heath. “Now I’m a hybrid who can beat up on larger, structurally bigger guys.” </p> <p>At the ’06 New York Pro, he also won the individual body-part awards for legs and arms. The improvements he’s made in chest thickness, density, and fullness are nothing short of extraordinary. As he inches closer to defending his title at the O this September, he shares the tools, both physical and mental, that he used and continues to use to sculpt a chest worthy of four Sandows—and if he has his way, a fifth.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="594" style="width: 300px; height: 291px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/phil-heath-dumbbell-chest-press.jpg?itok=A-Ilam3z" /><span style="line-height: 1.6;">Heath’s chest workouts have followed a specific pattern for several years now. “Wherever I am in the world,” he explains, “my opening exercises are an incline press followed by flyes.” Mr. Olympia focuses on upper pecs, which are often neglected by beginning bodybuilders who are too concerned with how much weight they can move on their flat bench presses. “Upper pecs are so important,” he says. “Especially in your side poses, where the audience and judges can see them pop.” </span></p> <p>Heath will alternate between incline dumbbell presses and Hammer Strength incline presses. “I’m doing more working sets these days,” he points out, noting he will aim for three to five working sets versus his usual three of years past. “I’m focusing on strength but also being able to move the weight for at least eight reps.” Even for Mr. Olympia it can be tempting to go above the 150-pound dumbbells or five plates on each side of the Hammer apparatus, but “I’m trying to be smarter than that.” He rests two to three minutes between sets.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYE</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/phil-heath-dumbbell-flyes_0.jpg?itok=i49quk2t" /></p> <p>The incline dumbbell flye is another exercise that stimulates the upper pectoral region. When executing the movement—as well as other chest presses—Heath is careful not to tuck his chin down into his chest. “When you lower your chin, it means that the weight you’re using is too difficult,” he explains. “You’re creating more stress on yourself by doing that. You instead need to relax and open everything up. If you tilt your head back and keep it higher, you can move the dumbbell higher up on the upper pecs and be able to breathe. With incline flyes especially, I find I get better contractions with my chin higher.” Heath also avoids banging the dumbbells together at the top of his flyes or presses as a way to control the contraction.</p> <p><em><strong>Click "Next Page" to continue &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p>[pagebreak]</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>SEATED CHEST PRESS</strong></span></span></p> <p>Make the most of a seated chest press by being mindful of the time under tension (TUT) instead of mindlessly or spastically knocking out your reps. “Time under tension is a good thing,” he confirms. “And there’s nothing wrong with doing a rest-pause set now and again. It shows that you’re in control of the weight and the weight isn’t in control of you. There are days you’re not going to feel like going heavier—and you shouldn’t. Concentrate on the concentric movement, then hold it at the top before coming down.” Heath rests no more than one to two minutes between sets of the seated chest press.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>CABLE CROSSOVER</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/phil-heath-cable-chest-flyes_0.jpg?itok=7C-UcVZw" /></p> <p>Heath does seven sets of 15 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets. He’ll increase the weight from set to set only if he can maintain intensity. Heath will also vary the height of the cable handles to target different areas of the chest: high to low stresses the lower pecs; shoulder level hits the middle chest; and low to high attacks the upper pecs.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS</strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="856" style="width: 300px; height: 420px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/phil-heath-side-chest.jpg?itok=rtQAI7a_" />During the past nine years, Heath has established himself as the dominant force in bodybuilding. “When I turned pro at the 2005 USAs—and during my rookie season in ’06—I think I showed people that despite not being the largest guy onstage structurally, I’m round, separated, dry, and hard. And I can compare at all the different angles,” Heath says. “I was at the bottom of the heavyweight class at the USAs. I won the Colorado show at 212 pounds, and a week later at the New York pre-judging I was 208.5 pounds. I’m in the high 240s now, and I’ve managed to avoid injury and establish longevity because I didn’t jump up 20 pounds in one year. I stayed true to slow gains.</p> <p>“Everybody wants to be bigger,” he says. “Many competitors are more concerned with the scale and how they look with a T-shirt on. You know what? None of that matters when you’re up onstage. Size isn’t everything. Up there, under the lights, it’s about quality over quantity.” </p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">HEATH'S TRAINING SPLIT</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Day 1</strong>: Legs</p> <p><strong>Day 2</strong>: Chest</p> <p><strong>Day 3</strong>: Back</p> <p><strong>Day 4</strong>: Shoulders</p> <p><strong>Day 5</strong>: Arms</p> <p><strong>Day 6</strong>: Rest</p> <p><strong>Day 7</strong>: Repeat cycle</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">HEATH'S CHEST ROUTINE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Incline Dumbbell Press</strong>: 3–5 sets, 8–12 reps</p> <p><strong>Incline Dumbbell Flye</strong>: 3–5 sets, 8–12 reps</p> <p><strong>Seated Chest Press</strong>: 3–5 sets, 8–12 reps</p> <p><strong>Cable Crossover*</strong>: 7 sets, 15 reps</p> <p><em>*Performed with 30 seconds’ rest between sets.</em></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b8/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:25:41 GMT66940 at http://www.flexonline.comTony Monchinski10 Oh So Good Facts About Ashriel Osgoodhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b7/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgeneral0Enews0C10A0Eoh0Eso0Egood0Efacts0Eabout0Eashriel0Eosgood/story01.htm<p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>1 </strong></span></span>Since I've added muscle and gotten curvier, I've become more comfortable in my own skin.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>2</strong></span></span> My goal is to make it to the Olympia stage. Whether it takes blood or tears, I will step onto that stage one day.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>3</strong></span></span> I love leg day to the point where I might have a leg fetish. If I could work on my legs all day I’d be happy. I love sexy legs.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>4</strong></span></span> A juicy burger and sweet potato fries are the perfect cheat meal.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>5</strong></span></span> My bikini top split when I was getting ready to go onstage once. I was devastated and embarrassed, but thankfully one of the girls offered me her extra suit. I frantically got changed and walked to the lineup, praying it fit. I had no idea what it looked like, but thank God it fit.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>6</strong></span></span> My dad loved Arnold Schwarzenegger; he’d make spaghetti and we’d watch The Terminator while we ate dinner.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>7</strong></span></span> I listen to rap and hip-hop when I lift. When I’m doing cardio, I listen to Joel Osteen a lot.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>8</strong></span></span> My husband is motivational and often pushes me in the gym—sometimes a little too much! I’m like, “Babe, enough of the heavy lifting, I just need to do a little shoulder work!” He can also eat whatever he wants; he’ll order pizza…and I’ll sit there with a container of chicken, totally depressed.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>9</strong></span></span> I always thought I’d make a good court reporter because I’m fast with my fingers.</p> <p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>10</strong></span></span> “The body believes what the mind achieves” is my favorite quote. When I first started competing I realized that so much of what a competitor goes through is mental.</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b7/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:25:41 GMT66941 at http://www.flexonline.comPamela NulletGo Coconuts for a Dose of Healthy Fatshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b6/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cnutrition0Cgo0Ecoconuts0Edose0Ehealthy0Efats/story01.htm<p>Coconut oil has gained popularity with athletes, including bodybuilders, over the past few years. This goes against the conventional wisdom from many years ago that argued you should avoid coconut oil because it was high in saturated fats. While the conclusion is wrong, the fact upon which it’s based is true: Coconut oil is high in saturated fats. And that’s exactly why you should consume it.</p> <p>In fact, coconut oil derives about 90% of its calories from saturated fats. Now the preponderance of recent research and medical opinions recognizes that saturated fats do not cause the damage of heart disease ascribed to them for decades. In fact, saturated fats are a healthy source of energy, and they provide the raw materials you need to support hormone production.</p> <p>Coconut oil provides benefits compared with many other whole-food sources of saturated fats because it contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). This type of saturated fat is readily used as an energy source. MCTs go straight to your liver where they are converted to energy (including ketones) that you can then use to support intense training. That’s particularly beneficial for athletes on a low-carb plan who want to perform at their peak.</p> <p>Coconut oil is also a great cooking choice because it has a high-smoke point, meaning it’s better for cooking at higher temperatures. It straddles the line between being a solid and a liquid at room temperature, differentiating it from other oils that are liquid at room temperature and those that remain solid.</p> <p><span><span><strong>BONUS: POST-WORKOUT DESSERT TO BOOST RECOVERY</strong></span></span></p> <p>There’s no time of day when you better deserve—or need—a treat than after a workout. The good news is that many desserts can be a part of your post-workout regimen. The key is to consume sugary treats that are very low in fiber and fats at this time of day. Good examples include angel food cake, jelly on white bread, and, particularly, meringue.</p> <p>Meringue is made from table sugar and egg whites, and it’s one of the best whole foods for providing you with what you need post-workout to support muscle gains: fast-digesting sugars and protein.</p> <p>You should add a source of protein to these treats, consuming both right after you finish training. Remember, the goal is to get in fast-digesting protein with sugar to drive nutrients to muscle tissue as quickly as possible to jump-start recovery and maximize growth. Target an equal amount of protein and sugar after workouts, generally 30–50 grams of each.</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b6/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:25:40 GMT66942 at http://www.flexonline.comSteven StiefelSchwarzenegger and Ferrigno Get Pumped at Gold&#039;shttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b5/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cvideos0Cgeneral0Enews0Cschwarzenegger0Eand0Eferrigno0Eget0Epumped0Egolds/story01.htm<div id="fb-root"></div> <script> <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); //--><!]]> </script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/arnold/videos/10153361513646760/" data-width="500"> <div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/arnold/videos/10153361513646760/"> <p>We never stop having fun Lou Ferrigno. Stay hungry.</p> <p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/arnold">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/arnold/videos/10153361513646760/">Tuesday, July 28, 2015</a></p></blockquote> </div> </div> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0em 0px 1.6em; padding-top: 0em; padding-bottom: 0em; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">It's not often you see two of the greatest bodybuilding legends of all time working out together at the local gym, but that's just what <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/training/complete-arnold">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a> and <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/general-news/big-louie">Lou Ferrigno</a> recently did at Gold's gym in Venice, California.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0em 0px 1.6em; padding-top: 0em; padding-bottom: 0em; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Here the Mr. Universe and <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/ifbb/ifbb-olympia-weekend-2015">Mr. Olympia</a> champions can be seen encouraging each other to knock out the last few reps on the chest press machine. And for the icing on the cake, we get a chest pose from both the big men who know a thing or two about showing off their mighty pecs. </p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488ca7b5/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:25:40 GMT66943 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffGustavo Badell&#039;s High Volume Back Traininghttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885a/sc/13/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Cback0Cgustavo0Ebadells0Ehigh0Evolume0Eback0Etraining/story01.htm<p style="text-align: justify;">One Mr. Olympia record is likely to stand the test of time—greatest leap in standings. Gustavo Badell jumped 21 places from his first Olympia to his second. The Venezuelan-born Puerto Rican barely made a ripple during his first six professional years. In 17 contests, he made only one posedown. But that qualified him for the 2002 Olympia—where he got punked, 24th out of 25. When he next qualified, he placed a shocking third in the 2004 O. The following year, he repeated that bronze spot. Badell won only three lesser pro shows over his 38-contest, 15-year pro career, but his back-to-back Olympia thirds in 2004–05 mark bodybuilding’s most improbable upsurge.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" style="width: 200px; height: 370px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/gustovo-badell_0.jpg?itok=ZSwUWd8x" width="612" height="1131" />Just as Badell skyrocketed from oblivion to Olympia contender, his workouts were similarly unique for the distance traveled. For example, his back routine featured 32 working sets. Even going at a brisk pace, it took two hours to complete. He didn’t always use such marathon sessions. He increased his workload precontest, and he frequently alternated a high-set workout with a moderate-set one. But Badell does attribute this cranking up the volume for some of his stupendous midcareer success.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>BADELL ON BACK TRAINING</strong></span></span></p> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">“My first four sets of pullups are only for a warmup and stretch. Then I come back and do them with a weight to build muscle.”</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">“The T bar places more of a pull on your lower back, so you can’t be as explosive as you can with barbell rows.”</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">“This routine is so intense and so high volume that by the time I get to deadlifts, I only need to use 315. Of course, I’m getting 12 to 15 reps, too.”</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">“I go high volume about half the time. The rest of the time, I do about half as many sets.”</li> </ul><p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">BADELL’S BACK ROUTINE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Pullup (warmup)</strong>: 4 sets, 8–12 reps</p> <p><strong>Behind-the-neck Pulldown</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Weighted Pullup</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Barbell Row</strong>: 4 sets, 10–12 reps</p> <p><strong>T-bar Row</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Hammer-strength Machine Row</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Low-pulley Row</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Deadlift</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Back Extension</strong>: 4 sets, 12–15 reps</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885a/sc/13/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:56:49 GMT66935 at http://www.flexonline.comGreg MerrittRoelly Winklaar&#039;s Wheelshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488a4b66/sc/23/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Clegs0Croelly0Ewinklaars0Ewheels/story01.htm<p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="1102" style="width: 300px; height: 540px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-most-muscular.jpg?itok=iOR0_K5E" />What’s the first thing that pops out at you when you see Roelly Winklaar posing onstage or in front of a camera? His arms, perhaps? That’s what most people say, and the guns are huge—arguably the best of all time. But his wheels have now become equally impressive, giving him top-to-bottom symmetry that figures to make noise in the IFBB for years to come.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>HOW WINKLAAR MANAGED TO BUILD LOWER LIMBS THAT MATCH HIS UPPER ONES IS PRETTY SIMPLE:</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">He stuck to the basics. Nothing fancy, nothing earth-shattering. Just tried-and-true mass-building moves done with heavy weights and high volume, with a dash of quad-sculpting leg extensions thrown in for good measure. That’s what the leg workout on the following pages consists of. It may not be cute, but it works. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" for Roelly's workout &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">[pagebreak]</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>SAFETY BAR SQUAT</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="1079" style="width: 300px; height: 529px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-squat.jpg?itok=wUt9MEVF" /><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">START</span></strong> Put a safety squat bar in a power rack at about chest height. Get underneath the bar so that it’s resting high on your upper traps, with the pads on top of your shoulders extending forward and angled slightly downward—the intended position of a safety squat bar. Unrack the bar, step back, and begin in an upright position with your feet hip/shoulder-width apart (just as you would with a standard barbell squat). With your hands, either hold on to the columns of the power rack for support or grasp the ends of the bar in front on your shoulders (as Winklaar is doing in the photos).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">EXECUTION</span></strong> Keeping your back flat, bend your knees to lower yourself straight down as if sitting down in a chair. When your thighs are parallel with the floor, forcefully contract your glutes and quads to stand back up to the start position without locking out your knees at the top. Focus on keeping your weight over your heels throughout; the safety squat bar should make this easier to accomplish.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">ROELLY SAYS</span></strong> “I do different versions of the squat—regular barbell squats as well as squats with a safety squat bar. It’s good to have variety in your workout. With squats, it’s important to use a full range of motion. I don’t do half reps. I don’t believe in them. I go all the way down on each rep to at least [thighs] parallel to the floor.”</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" for Roelly's next exercise &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">[pagebreak]</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>LEG PRESS</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" style="width: 612px; height: 344px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-leg-press.jpg?itok=_aQQeG23" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">START</span></strong> Sit on a leg press machine and place your feet hip-to shoulder-width apart on the platform. Press the weight up with your legs until your knees are extended, then release the machine’s safety catches. Hold on to the handles provided near the seat for stability.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">EXECUTION</span></strong> Lower the weight under control until your knees form 90-degree angles or slightly less. (Your range of motion will depend on your size; go down as far as possible without letting your glutes lift up off the pad.) Extend your hips and knees explosively to press the weight back up to the start position, stopping just short of full lockout at the top. Maintain a slight arch in your lower back throughout; don’t let it round to conform with the pad.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">ROELLY SAYS</span></strong> “It’s very important to not straighten your legs completely at the top of the rep—this applies to all leg exercises. Locking out the knees can put stress on the joints, which can lead to injury, especially when you go heavy.”</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" for Roelly's next exercise &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">[pagebreak]</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>HACK SQUAT</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="1041" style="width: 250px; margin: 4px; float: right; height: 425px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-hack-squat.jpg?itok=tv1tQyOX" /><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">START</span></strong> Place your back against the pads and position your feet hip-width apart in the middle of the platform. Extend your legs and grasp the handles.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">EXECUTION</span></strong> Unhook the safety latches and slowly lower yourself until your thighs are below parallel with the platform. Extend your hips and knees to press yourself back up to the start position. Don’t lock out your knees at the top.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">ROELLY SAYS</span></strong> “I keep my feet close together to develop the outer sweeps of the quads; when your feet are wide, it hits the inner quads more. Hack squats allow you to use a big range of motion, so I always make sure to go down as low as possible on each rep.”</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" for Roelly's next exercise &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">[pagebreak]</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>LEG EXTENSION</strong></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">START</span></strong> Adjust the seat of a leg <span style="line-height: 1.6;">extension machine so that your </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">back is flush against the seat back </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">and your knees are in line with the </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">machine’s axis of rotation. Begin </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">with your legs bent at least 90 </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">degrees and the weight lifted a few </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">inches off the stack.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="606" style="width: 300px; height: 297px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-leg-extension.jpg?itok=mIKGkfBr" /><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">EXECUTION</span></strong> Contract your <span style="line-height: 1.6;">quads to extend your knees until </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">your legs are completely straight. </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">Squeeze hard at the top, then </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">return to the start position. To keep </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">constant tension on the quads, don’t let the weight rest on the stack </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">between reps. Stop a few inches </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">shy of touching at the bottom and </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">go right into the next rep.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">ROELLY SAYS</span></strong> “I do leg extensions <span style="line-height: 1.6;">two different ways: both </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">legs at a time and each leg individually. </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">When doing both at </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">the same time, I keep my legs in </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">close together to target the outer </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">sweeps, just like with hack squats. </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">I warm up with leg extensions, but I </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">use them at the end of my workout </span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">to carve in quad definition.” </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Click "Next Page" for Roelly's full workout and training split &gt;&gt;</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">[pagebreak]</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WINKLAAR'S QUAD WORKOUT</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Safety Bar Squat</strong>: 5 sets, 12 reps, 1 min. rest</p> <p><strong>Leg Press</strong>: 5 sets, 15 reps, 1 min. rest</p> <p><strong>Hack Squat</strong>: 4 sets, 10 reps, 1 min. rest</p> <p><strong>Leg Extension*</strong>: 4 sets, 15 reps, 1 min. rest</p> <p><em>NOTES: Winklaar performs one to two light warmup sets of leg extensions and leg presses prior to squats.</em></p> <p><em>*First two sets performed both legs at a time; next two sets performed one leg at a time (unilaterally), 15 reps per leg, per set.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WINKLAAR'S TWICE-A-DAY TRAINING SPLIT</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-left" height="895" style="width: 300px; height: 439px; margin: 4px; float: left;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-training-split.jpg?itok=bToiaKr3" /><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="1237" style="width: 225px; height: 455px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/roelly-winklaar-leg-pose.jpg?itok=CnO9_frZ" /></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/legs/behind-scenes-roelly-winklaar-leg-photoshoot" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px; text-align: justify;">CLICK HERE TO WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE</a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488a4b66/sc/23/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:56:44 GMT66939 at http://www.flexonline.comJoe Wuebben8 Game Changing Protein Powder Hackshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488a4b65/sc/21/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgalleries0C80Egame0Echanging0Eprotein0Epowder0Ehacks0Cnutrition/story01.htm<br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488a4b65/sc/21/mf.gif' border='0'/>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:56:44 GMT66580 at http://www.flexonline.comJohn Cena Suffers Horrible Nose Break on RAW and Still Winshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488237c7/sc/13/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cgeneral0Enews0Cjohn0Ecena0Esuffers0Ehorrible0Enose0Ebreak0Eraw0Eand0Estill0Ewins/story01.htm<p>A lot of the blog posts that feature <a href="http://www.flexonline.com/general-news/john-cena-bench-presses-487-pounds" target="_blank&quot;">John Cena</a> have a similar theme or mantra - Never Give Up. Cena practiced what he preached on Monday night at WWE Raw when he continued to fight after a particularly nasty nose break in his match against Seth Rollins. Despite the obvious discomfort, and the fact that his nose was smashed all over his face, Cena battled on to defeat Rollins and retain his U.S. title. This vine shows how the damage was done:</p> <p><iframe src="https://vine.co/v/eXuTvW6J5i1/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script></p> <p>This photo shows the extent of the damage:</p> <p> </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr" xml:lang="en">OH MY GOD! VERY GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCena">@JOHNCENA</a>'S BROKEN NOSE ON <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE">@WWE</a>.COM! <a href="http://t.co/rslvupdbyn">http://t.co/rslvupdbyn</a> <a href="http://t.co/nh1TfvKnWc">pic.twitter.com/nh1TfvKnWc</a></p> <p>— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyStyles/status/625879266148896768">July 28, 2015</a></p></blockquote> <script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>John Cena, more power to you. Never Give Up!</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/5qrGI8AFJH/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">#WWE Exclusive! @JohnCena suffered a broken nose in the main event of #RAW as a result of a knee to the face from #WWE World Heavyweight Champion @wwerollins.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by WWE (@wwe) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-07-28T04:41:10+00:00">Jul 27, 2015 at 9:41pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async="" defer="defer" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/488237c7/sc/13/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:15:03 GMT66938 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffBikini - 2015 IFBB Vancouver Prohttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885e/sc/3/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cbikini0E20A150Eifbb0Evancouver0Epro/story01.htm<br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885e/sc/3/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:03 GMT66930 at http://www.flexonline.comFitness - 2015 IFBB Vancouver Prohttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885d/sc/3/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cfitness0E20A150Eifbb0Evancouver0Epro/story01.htm<br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885d/sc/3/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:03 GMT66932 at http://www.flexonline.comHow Many Times Per Week Should You Train?http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885c/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Chow0Emany0Etimes0Eweek0Eshould0Eyou0Etrain/story01.htm<p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>HYPOTHESIS</strong></span></span></p> <p>Research shows that training three to four times a week may be the most effective frequency to make gains.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>RESEARCH</strong></span></span></p> <p>In a University of Rio de Janeiro study, subjects were divided into three groups to train with a different weekly frequency: twice per week (Tues., Thurs.); three times per week (Mon., Wed., Fri.); or four times per week (Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri.). Each group used the same full-body routine each workout. Strength improvements for bench press, lat pulldown, and leg press were measured at four and eight months.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>FINDINGS</strong></span></span></p> <p>Strength improvements were not significantly different among groups. However, the group training four times weekly did show a greater percentage change from baseline.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></span></span></p> <p>Although some studies have shown that training should be performed three, four, or even five times per week, this study suggests that over time, the differences in strength gains between low- and high-frequency training get smaller and smaller. This study also shows that training a muscle group two days in a row might, in some cases, produce the greatest gains.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">APPLICATION</span></strong></span></span></p> <p>You shouldn’t worry if you have time to train only twice a week. You can still make good gains over time if you are consistent. A full-body workout may be your best option if you’re training only twice weekly because it will ensure that all muscle groups get adequate attention. - <strong>FLEX</strong></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885c/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:03 GMT66933 at http://www.flexonline.comBryan Haycock, M.SC.Weightlifter Invents First Gravity Lift Bench Presshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885b/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Cchest0Cweightlifter0Einvents0Efirst0Egravity0Elift0Ebench0Epress/story01.htm<p style="text-align: justify;">Every weightlifter knows what it's like to get "stuck." They also know that lifting heavy without a spotter is a gym fail video waiting to happen.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Still, it's easy to succumb to the cocky little voice in their heads yelling, "Come on! This is easy! Just one more!" Next thing you know, your muscles betray and a simple set turns into a life-or-death struggle. It's a wonder that no one has thought up a fix until now: enter the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/754670088/maxx-bench-first-ever-gravity-release-bench-press?ref=hero_thanks" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" rel="nofollow">Maxx Bench</a>.</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/754670088/maxx-bench-first-ever-gravity-release-bench-press/widget/video.html" width="640"></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Don't get too excited, the product is <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/754670088/maxx-bench-first-ever-gravity-release-bench-press?ref=hero_thanks" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;" rel="nofollow">still in the Kickstarter phase</a> right now. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw this handy little step popping up in gyms soon.</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4881885b/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:03 GMT66934 at http://www.flexonline.comGary CottonKai Greene Posing in 1999http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48818859/sc/24/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cvideos0Cifbb0Ckai0Egreene0Eposing0E1999/story01.htm<div id="fb-root"></div> <script> <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); //--><!]]> </script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKaiGreene/videos/10153533117208901/" data-width="500"> <div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKaiGreene/videos/10153533117208901/"> <p>The dreams you have that may meet mockeries from the lips of negative people will yield the success that will squeeze...</p> <p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKaiGreene">Kai Greene</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKaiGreene/videos/10153533117208901/">Thursday, July 23, 2015</a></p></blockquote> </div> </div><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48818859/sc/24/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:03 GMT66936 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex StaffThe Cure for Stubborn Calveshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48818858/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Clegs0Ccalves0Ccure0Estubborn0Ecalves/story01.htm<p>Calf development seems to be more dependent on genetics than any other muscle group. Even top bodybuilders can struggle to build their calves. There are, however, effective strategies for maximizing your calves’ genetic potential.</p> <p>The gastrocnemius has two heads: the medial (or inner) head and the lateral (or outer) head. Research has shown that you can shift the emphasis on either head by rotating your foot position in or out when doing standing calf raises. Inward rotation preferentially activates the inner head. Rotating the feet outward preferentially activates the outer head.</p> <p>For full calf development, use all three foot positions either in the same workout or alternate each time you train calves.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">“TURN FOR THE BETTER” CALF WORKOUT</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Standing Calf Raise (toes in)</strong>: 3 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Standing Calf Raise (toes out)</strong>: 3 sets, 12–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Standing Calf Raise (toes straight)</strong>: 3 sets, 12–15 reps</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48818858/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:02 GMT66937 at http://www.flexonline.comBryan Haycock, M.SC.Posedown: Elssbiay vs. Richardshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4878ced9/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cifbb0Cposedown0Eelssbiay0Evs0Erichards/story01.htm<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;">THE MYTHICAL MASS MONSTER OF THE ’90S TAKES ON TODAY’S SCARIEST BEHEMOTH</span></p> <p>Do you believe in monsters? Photos of Victor Richards generated shock waves in the ’90s. His legs and arms were as gargantuan as any pro’s. And his fame grew with dubious claims about his weight, strength, and appetite. But Big Vic never stepped on a pro stage. We’re going to approximate such a contest now in the ultimate monster mash.</p> <p>Claiming to be 330 pounds with 26-inch arms and a 67-inch chest (all ludicrous numbers), Richards last competed at the 1992 Nigerian Championships. (He’s American, but his father is Nigerian-born.) But contest photos of him are as scarce as clear shots of Bigfoot. The best views of him were at 1994’s FIBO, where he famously traded poses with Dorian Yates. Transported to the present, he’d face the same problems against Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay that he did against Yates. Assuming he was in proper contest shape (unlike at FIBO), he’d have enough arm, chest, and leg mass to hang close in some shots. But the ultrawide Elssbiay would make Richards look narrow, as did Yates. That said, two decades ago, if he could’ve refined what he had, Big Vic might have been what Big Ramy is today—a mass monster who scares other pros.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>ELSSBIAY</strong></span></span></p> <p><em><strong>“I eat eight times per day in the off-season and get 50 to 60 grams of protein per meal.” —Elssbiay</strong></em></p> <p><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">STRENGTHS</span></strong></p> <p>Overall size, quad mass, shoulder width</p> <p><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WEAKNESSES</span></strong></p> <p>Calves, leg separation</p> <p><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">BEST POSE</span></strong></p> <p>Front lat spread</p> <p><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WORSE POSE</span></strong></p> <p>Side triceps</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>VICTOR RICHARDS</strong></span></span></p> <p><em><strong>“I’II consume anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 calories in a typical day.”—Richards</strong></em></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">STRENGTHS</span></strong></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Overall size, quad and arm mass</p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WEAKNESSES</span></strong></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Width, conditioning</p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">BEST POSE</span></strong></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Most muscular</p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">WORSE POSE</span></strong></p> <p style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;"><span style="line-height: 18.9090900421143px;">Rear lat spread</span></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4878ced9/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:42:23 GMT66567 at http://www.flexonline.comGreg MerrittTake a Load Off Between Setshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/484fa9a4/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Ctake0Eload0Ebetween0Esets/story01.htm<p><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>OPENING ARGUMENTS</strong></span></p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>DEFENSE</strong></span> </p> <p>Between sets, it's important to rest by sitting or lying down to regain your strength and mental drive.</p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>PROSECUTION</strong></span></p> <p>Sitting or lying down can inhibit motivation to continue your training session.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>EVIDENCE</strong></span></p> <ol><li>Subjects who sat or lay down between sets were able to perform more work compared with subjects who stood or kept moving.</li> <li>Not sitting after exhausting sets can prolong the sense of fatigue.</li> <li>Active rest between sets may not allow complete myoglobin reoxygenation and/or phosphocreatine resynthesis.</li> <li>Sitting allows for faster recovery of heart rate than standing.</li> </ol><p><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>VERDICT</strong></span></p> <p><strong><span style="color:#FF0000;">WHEN POSSIBLE, SIT BETWEEN SETS</span></strong></p> <p>Research shows more complete physiological recovery between sets when sitting or lying supine compared with active rest or staying on your feet. This greater recovery increases work capacity on subsequent sets.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>SENTENCING</strong></span></p> <p>You’ll perform better if you sit or lie down and truly relax between sets. Greater recovery and higher work capacity mean a greater chance of topping your personal bests on each exercise. Keep track of how long you rest with a stopwatch or a smartphone and monitor the time between sets so that you can both maximize your recovery and keep up the tempo of your workout.</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/484fa9a4/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:42:23 GMT66568 at http://www.flexonline.comBryan Haycock, M.SC.Flex Lewis&#039; Upper Pec Blasthttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48687fbc/sc/21/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Ctraining0Cchest0Cflex0Elewis0Eupper0Epec0Eblast/story01.htm<p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>QUESTION</strong></span></span></p> <p><em><strong>What do you suggest to bring up the lower chest?</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>ANSWER</strong></span></span></p> <p>If you talked to Neil [Hill, Lewis’ trainer], he would tell you he’s never seen an upper chest that truly overpowered the lower chest. As a result, his strategy has always been to focus workouts on the upper chest—knowing that when it’s done correctly, the chest is going to be sore everywhere, upper and lower.</p> <p>Before I started working with Neil, my chest training wasn’t as consistent. One session would be good, and the next not so good. Working with Neil helped me establish a stronger mind-muscle connection with my chest, and I started getting strong contractions where I could actually feel my chest working. What I’ve learned is that the weight is irrelevant—attention to detail makes all the difference. Little things, like not locking out at the top of presses—instead I stop about three inches above my chest, which helps me keep my delts and triceps out of it—had a big effect. Squeezing is important if you want to feel the results through your chest.</p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">LEWIS’ CHEST ROUTINE</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><strong>Cable Flye</strong>: 2 sets (warmup), 15–20 reps</p> <p><strong>Incline Dumbbell Press</strong>: 4 sets, 10–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Hammer Strength Incline Press</strong>: 4 sets, 8–15 reps</p> <p><strong>Pec Deck</strong>: 3 sets, 12–20 reps</p> <p><strong>Dip (legs back)</strong>: 2 sets, 30–50 reps (to failure) </p> <p> </p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48687fbc/sc/21/mf.gif' border='0'/>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:42:22 GMT66575 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex LewisOlympia Factshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48687fbb/sc/34/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cifbb0Colympia0Efacts/story01.htm<p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="711" style="width: 250px; height: 290px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/larry-scott_2.jpg?itok=FDk7BFIG" /><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><strong>GREAT SCOTT</strong></span></span></p> <p>The Golden Boy was the first Mr. Olympia, in 1965. Larry Scott repeated in 1966 and then retired at the age of 27. The Legend is the only Mr. Olympia to finish his career undefeated on the O stage.</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>THE EXPOS</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">469,000 square feet of space planned for the 2015 Olympia Expo!</span></strong></span></p> <p>The early O Expo incarnations were nowhere near the size it is today. The 2014 Olympia Expo boasted more than 1,100 booths, 221 vendors, and a full roster of events. With more of all the above added each year, expect the 2015 rendition to be a nonstop frenzy of fitness and bodybuilding spread out over 469,000 square feet.</p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" style="width: 612px; height: 344px; margin: 4px;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/olympia-expo.jpg?itok=6JunoHXP" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="918" style="width: 200px; height: 300px; margin: 4px; float: right;" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/dorian-yates-front-double-biceps.jpg?itok=ZFFmehFM" /><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>YIKES, YATES!</strong></span></span></p> <p>They were impromptu black-and-white photos snapped for newly crowned Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates to gauge his progress for the 1993 O. Same place, same lighting; the only variable was his physique. The pics became public, and the fact that anyone could look like that only weeks out from the show was disheartening, to say the least. Before he even stepped onstage, Yates had effectively won his second Sandow.</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:22px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>IT'S REIGNING 8</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">The current record for consecutive O wins</span></strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="344" title="" width="612" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.flexonline.com/sites/flexonline.com/files/styles/node_image/public/haney-coleman_0.jpg?itok=iJOqnHab" /></p> <p>It started in 1970 when Arnold Schwarzenegger toppled the seemingly invincible Sergio Oliva. For the next five years, he held bodybuilding’s greatest prize. He came out of retirement in 1980 for a seventh title, and many experts were sure his record would stand for decades, if not more. But a mere four years later, 24-year-old <strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">Lee Haney</span></strong> began his eight-year winning streak. Then Dorian Yates, the man who finished second to Haney the previous year, held on—despite injuries—for six years.</p> <p>Enter <strong><span style="background-color:#FFFF00;">Ronnie Coleman</span></strong>. The man nobody picked to win upset all the favorites. By the time he finished, he had tied Haney’s eight. Current four-time champ Phil Heath’s stated goal is 10. Will he reach the halfway mark this September?</p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/48687fbb/sc/34/mf.gif' border='0'/>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:42:22 GMT66576 at http://www.flexonline.comFLEX StaffPhil Heath Trains Trains Chest, Part 2http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4858d5c2/sc/14/l/0L0Sflexonline0N0Cvideos0Ctraining0Cchest0Cphil0Eheath0Etrains0Etrains0Echest0Epart0E2/story01.htm<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3jnc7EAGuuM" width="560"></iframe></p> <p>Video courtesy of <strong><a href="https://www.giftednutrition.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gifted Nutrition</a>.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px;"><a href="http://www.flexonline.com/videos/training/chest/phil-heath-trains-trains-chest-part-1"><strong>Click HERE for "Phil Heath Trains Trains Chest, Part 1"</strong></a></span></p><br clear='all'/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35508/f/677698/s/4858d5c2/sc/14/mf.gif' border='0'/>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:42:22 GMT66574 at http://www.flexonline.comFlex Staff